How do I become a forensic psychologist?

Forensic psychology, according to the Society of Police and Criminal Psychology is one of the newer disciplines in psychology, and does not yet have one formal, structured path to the profession, but we can identify a path that most forensic psychologists have taken. The vast majority of psychologists who work regularly within the legal system have a doctoral degree and received their graduate training in clinical psychology or (less frequently) counseling psychology. This makes sense when you realize that many of the activities of forensic psychologists are clinical/applied in nature. They obtained their knowledge of forensic psychology through on-the-job training and experiences, post-graduate educational and training opportunities, and attendance at professional meetings conferences. Of the forensic psychologists who do only research, many are I/O or social psychologists.

Until recently, there were very few graduate programs that offered even one course in forensic psychology, let alone an entire "track." Now we are beginning to see forensic tracks in some of the clinical training programs, and a few programs devoted to training psychologists to do forensic research, including some masters programs.

Educational Opportunities in Police and Criminal Psychology

Many of these programs can be found listed at the website of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology. The SPCP lists the following opportunities for training in police and criminal psychology for the convenience of individuals using our site. We do not control or make any warranty concerning the value of any academic program listed below.

Florida International University, Applied Psychology Program with Specialty Track in the area of Law/PsychologyDr. Margaret Bull KoveraDepartment of PsychologyUniversity Park CampusFlorida International University Miami, FL 33199 (305) 919-5959http://www.fiu.edu/http://www.fiu.edu/~koveram/legalpsy.html

Forest institute of Professional Psychology, Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with Optional Specialization in Forensics or Corrections.Andrew Lundgren Admissions CounselorThe School of Professional Psychology at Forest Institute2885 W. Battlefield RdSpringfield, MO 65807417-823-3455 or 800-424-7793 (Phone)417-823-3442 (Fax)Alundgren@forest.eduhttp://www.forest.edu/academics/courses/psyd/index.html